Josef Suk - Asrael Symphony

Josef Suk: Asrael Symphony in C minor: Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Vaclav Neumann.

Czech composer and violinist Josef Suk (January 4, 1874 - May 29, 1935) Suk’s early works show the influence of Dvořák and Johannes Brahms, while later pieces use more extended harmonies to create a more personal and complex style. Unlike many of his countrymen, he made little use of Czech folk music. His best known works are probably the youthful Serenade for Strings (1892) and the symphony, Asrael (1906), a work written in response to the deaths of his wife and Dvořák. Other pieces include the Fairy Tale Suite (1900), the cycle of piano works Things Lived and Dreamed (1909), and the trilogy of symphonic poems A Summer’s Tale (1909), The Ripening (1917) and Epilog (1929, for chorus and orchestra). He won a silver medal at the Art Competititions during the Olympic Games of 1932 at Los Angeles with his work Into a New Life.

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